The operation was carried out from 10am to 4pm yesterday (Dec 16). The Deputy District Chief for Security Affairs led an integrated team comprising members of the Volunteer Defence Corps (OrSor), Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) officials, village headmen and assistant village headmen, subdistrict doctors, police officers, village security volunteers and municipal officers.
The joint team was tasked with monitoring and controlling the use of public beach areas at Surin Beach, focusing on the placement of beach umbrellas and sunbeds, as well as the operation of stalls and street vendors deemed to cause public nuisance or infringe on public rights.
Thalang District Office said that from yesterday onwards, enforcement measures will remain in place until a sustainable and clearly defined solution is implemented for managing beach umbrella and sunbed vendors at the popular tourist beach.
“Any violations from this point forward will be subject to strict legal action,” the district office confirmed.
Officials noted that Thalang District, in cooperation with the Cherng Talay OrBorTor, has already completed the registration process for vendors, including a lottery and allocation of concession areas, in an effort to ensure fairness and order.
The stepped-up monitoring follows enforcement action a day earlier, on Monday (Dec 15), when five people were arrested for illegally encroaching on Surin Beach by placing umbrellas and beach chairs and selling goods on public land.
That inspection, led by Thalang District Chief Siwat Rawangkul, was launched after reports of ongoing encroachment and a widely shared social media video showing a brawl between rival vendors over operating space.
The Cherng Talay OrBorTor was instructed to file formal complaints in those cases, with the matters submitted to investigating officers at Cherng Talay Police Station for legal proceedings.
District officials reiterated that the ongoing enforcement aims to restore order, prevent further conflict among vendors and ensure that Surin Beach remains accessible to the public.